Another brain dump of things I've wanted to blog but haven't had the time.
More companies are switching to binomial valuation of stock options because it typically has a smaller charge to earnings.
Is size a benefit or a burden to Microsoft? It depends on what they try to do.
Businessweek reports on Kevin Rollins' plans for Dell.
Some Wharton professors have revealed that managers should think about the interdependencies of the various parts of the firm. What a shocking revelation! All this time I thought that in good companies the various departments just operated blindly, not paying any attention to how they interacted with each other. (Yes that was sarcasm) Seriously though, I'm reading this article and I'm wondering "are there really managers out there who think that you can adapt the HR practices of Nordstrom to McDonalds without much thought?" Those are two very different businesses in two very different industries. If you don't think "best practices" need to account for the context of the business, you deserve the ass-kicking your competition is going to give you.
Re: Warton’s revelation. Rob I love the straight talk from you (”If you don’t think “best practices” need to account for the context of the business, you deserve the ass-kicking your competition is going to give you.”)
But I wonder… could it be that there are “managers out there who think that you can adapt the HR practices of Nordstrom to McDonalds without much thought” becasue their are business writers, professors, and gurus who spout just that kind of nonsense.
It’s time to hold these thought leader’s feet to the fire. You did it to that professor and sort of to that Ferrari guy. Keep it coming.
Here’s a kindred soul http://www.marketingbabylon.com/2006/05/15/marketing/the-top-12-sins-of-marketing-gurus-and-their-books/
I’m still trying to give Ferrazi and Pfeffer the benefit of the doubt
I was reading some old letters of Warren Buffett yesterday, where he talked about the “follow the crowd” strategy of most management teams. He warned against it, and against being a constant contrarian. His advice was that “thinking is better than polling.” I would say managers poll best practices more than they think about them.